Garment-press



H'. E. CHASE.

GARMENT PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11. 1920.

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H, E'. CHA SE GARMENT PRESS.

APPLICATFUNQFILEPMAXJI'. I920- I 1,395,667. 4 I Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEBSCHEL E. CHASE, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATES HOFFMAN MACHINERY COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

Application filed May 11,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERSCHEL E. CHASE,Qf Syracuse, county of Onondaga, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Garment-Presses, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description. A

This invention relates to certain improvements in garment pressing machines in whichthe garment under treatment is sub-' jected to moisture, pressure and heat in one and the same operation, the moisture being supplied in the form of steam from an ex ternal source for softening and sterilizing the fabric and rendering it more pliable and susceptibleto shaping and also for restoring the nap, while the mechanical pressure and heat serve, respectively, to shape, fix the shape and to dry the garment so that it may be put on and worn with safety immediately following such operation.

I am aware that machines of this character are now in extensive use in which the excess or waste steam is withdrawn from the machine by steam-induced suction incorpor-- ated in the machine and deriving its power from the same sourcewhich supplies the moisture and heat, and while my invention is for a similar purpose, its specific object is to produce this suction by suitable means operated by one of-the moving parts, such as the press head of the machine, so as to conserve the use of steam or other external power and thereby further reduce the cost of operation.

Another object is to assure the operation of the suction device coincidently of the separation of the pressing elements in releasing the garment for removal or inspection. Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawingst Figure 1 is a top plan, partly in section and partly broken away, of a garment pressing machine embodying one form of my invention.

Fig. is an enlarged transverse vertical sectiona view of the vbuck and head taken on line 22,'F.ig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section and partly broken away, ofthe' same machine. 1 w As lllustrated, this machine comprises a Specification 01 Letters Patent.

GARMENT-Passe.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921. 1920. Serial No. 380,683.

main supporting. frame l upon which 1s mounted a relatively stationary buck -2- and a movable press head -3- having a rearwardly extending arm 4- which is fulcrumed at -5- upon upwardly extending arms 6- of the main supporting frame some distance to the rear of the pressing elements so as to leave a clear open space entirely around the buck for manipulation of the garment thereon.

The buck 2 is provided with a heating chamber, 7- and a combined steamdistributing and suction chamber -8-- having a perforated top -9- through which the steam may be admitted to the garment and withdrawn therefrom when it is desired to apply the steam to the garment from the under side.

- Steam may be supplied to the chamber 7 from any available source, not shown, for heating purposes through a pipe 10- and the water of condensation may be drawn off through a drain pipe -11--.

The steam for moistening purposes may befadmitted from the same source to the distributing chamber -8-- through a pipe ,12 communicating with said chamber, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, and controlled by a valve 13-.

When it is desired to moisten the garment from the bottom, the valve --l3 is opened for an instant only to supply the necessary blast of steam through the perforated plate -9--, thereby allowing the steam to come into contact with the garment. A suction pipe ---14.- is also connected at one end to the chamber 8 and has its other end connected to a suction pump 15 of the reciprocating piston type 10- cat'ed at the rear of the machine and adapted to be operated by the movement of the press head -3- to and from the buck.

For this purpose, the lower end of the cylinder 16- of the pump is pivoted at 17 to the lower rear portion of the frame -1- to rock'forwardly and rearwardly,

while the upper end of the piston rod as --18 is pivotally connected at -19 to to the upper end of the cylinder -16yand.

is provided with a check valve 20 to int allow the steam to be drawn into the cylinder as the pistonis moved-downwardly by changing positions of the piston rod -8,

i as the press head is rocked in reverse directions, the pipe --14 being flexible to al-.

, low rocking movement of the cylinderwithout overstraining the connections of said pipe with the buck and cylinder. I The exhaust pipe 21 is also provided v with check valve' 22 to allow the exit of the steam and water of condensation and tc prevent back-flow of the sanieinto the cylinder, and at the same time affording re- .licf against compression of the steam or water by the upward movement of the piston, the pipe 2I being also flexible to allow backward and forward movement of the cylinder without overstraining its connections.

The press head -3- is shown as provided with a steam-distributing chamber 23- having a perforated bottom -24 throu h which the steam may also be admitted to t is garment when it is desired to apply mois- 85 ture from the upper side, in which case the steam is supplied to said chamber through a pipe -26 having a valve 27 by which it may be controlled, preferably by the introductionof a short blast at a time, the steam being caused to spread out over practically the entire area of the perforated plate -24\ by its own; expansive force aided by contact with the bafiie plate '-28-. within said chamber. j I

This chamber 23 alsdfconstitutes a suction chamber when the valve -27- is closed and is connected by a pipe -l to a separate pump -15"' similar to the ppmp -15, in that it is of the piston type having a cylinder -l6"and a piston rod '-18.- the cylinder being pivoted at its lowerend at 17 to the frame 1 and having the upper end of its piston rod 'pivotally connected to the rear end of the arm -4- in armanner similar to that shown in Fig. 3 for the pump ,-15. The upper end of the cylinder -16., like the cylinder -1 is provided with an *exhaust or discharge pipe 21' which, n together with the "discharge pipe -21, merges into a single flexible exhaust pipe e -929% which may lead into a soil pipe or to exterior of the building so as to prevent the escape ofthe steam into the room. I ,-;;The"me a ns for operating the press head \erly moisten the same is. similar to that set} forth in the patent to Spencer, 1,164,616, December 14, 1915, in that it is forced to its pressing position by a pedal lever 30 and toggle levers '3l and is retracted by means of a spring 32 and counterweight 33 when the pedal lever-is released, said head being also provided with a handle which it may be operated if desired.

The suction plpe l4", like the suction pipe 1i is provided with acheck valve O operating in the same manner as the upon a blast of steam is introduced either through the buck or headby opening the corresponding valve for an instant only, thus bringing the steam'into contact with the garment in suflicient quantities to propyvithout saturation even though a part of the steam thus introduced into the head or buck'may find exit through the conduits 14 or -14 and exhaust conduits -21 and -21, which, in some instances, is an advantage because it further prevents oversaturation of the garment in oasethe steam should be highly charged with moisture.

' During this 'pressin operation, the moisture of the steam renders the garment soft and pliable, while the mechanical pressure gives it the: desired shape and together with the heat fixes such shape, while the heat of both the brick and press head tends to dry the garment. V Immediately eration, the pedal lever is released a owing the spring 5, -22- and counterweight 33 to raise the head and depress the istons of both pumps simultaneously which produces a partial vacuum in the upper end of each cylinder, thereby withdrawing the steam from both the buck and head into the cylinder and allows it to escape through thedischarge conduits 2l-'- and -21 or if it is not completely expelled from'the cylinder, or any water of condensation remains therein, the upward movement of the ton by the depressing ofthe head forces such steam or water of condensation from said cylinders into their respective exhaust conduits Q1 and 21.

This is a particularly simple 'means of withdrawing the excess steam from the garment and also from the pressing elements, and at the same time effects a more rapid drying and cooling of-the garment, thereby conserving the steam and to that extent reduces the cost of operation.

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following this pressin opi pressing elements'and avoids any possibil- It is also'evident that the same suction device maybeused'for removing dust and vapor from the garment by simply raising and lowering the head while thegarment 1s 5 on the buck. A

The important advantage, however, in operating'the suction device during the openingand closing movement of themovable pressing element is that it takes the moisture away from the padded surfaces of the ity of overdrying the garment by reason of the'fact that it is impossible to operate the suction device while the pressing elements 15 are together upon the garment, or, in. other words, prevents the suction during the pressing operation and permits it only when said elements are separated.

What I claim is:

1.111s garmentpressingmachine the combination with coactin pressing ele- I V ments' movable one in relation to the other,

with steaming chamber having an openmg throngnnts pressing face for admitt ng steam to the garment, a swam supply pipe lead ng to said chamber and provided with a valve for controlling the passage of steam therethrough, a suction pump actuated by the movable pressing element during its separation from the other pressing element and connected to said chamber r withdrawing the steam therefrom only when the pressing elements are being separated.

3. In a garment pressing machine, cooperative pressing elements movable one in re lation to the other, each of said pressin eiements being provided with a steaming 0 amber having an opening through its press,

ing face for admitting steam to the garment, steam pipes leading to said chambers and provided with valves, for controlling the passage of steam therethrou h, suction pumps actuated by the movalgle pressing element when moved away from the other pressing element and connected to said chambers for withdrawing the steam therefrombnly when the pressing elements are separated.

. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of May, 1920.

HERSGHEL E. CHASE.

Witnesses:

Rose G. CARROLL, E. M. Fmmenmx. 

